The prospective Russian-Chinese widebody twin-engine airliner was designated the CR929 at a ceremony at the headquarters of its developer, the joint venture China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Corporation in Shanghai on September 29. The baseline CR929-600 will carry 280 passengers and have a maximum range of 6,500 nautical miles (12,000km). Its first flight is planned for 2025. Other versions will include the stretched 320-passenger CR929-700 and the 230-passenger CR929-500.
Russia and China have also been looking at the potential for joint engine development and aftermarket support infrastructure in conjunction with this programme involving Russia’s United Engine Building (UEB) and Aero Engine Corporation of China, a new firm formed by the merger of several companies earlier this year. The engine would be based on UEB’s PD-15, which shares a common core design with the smaller PD-14, designed as an alternative powerplant for the United Aircraft Corporation MC-21.
David C Isby
